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| Magpies in the neighborhood. |
Magpies are friendly social backyard birds with tons of personality.
When I noticed one perched on the back of a patio chair perfectly posed.
I slowly raised my iPhone to take a picture, hoping to get it before he flew away.
Looking right at me, he struck a pose!
To ensure I would capture his best side, he turned from left to right before facing the front.
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| A magpie - posing left in the front garden. |
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| A magpie - posing right in the front garden. |
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| A magpie - posing face front in the garden. |
Magpies are black glossy birds with white markings.
They have long tails and measure between 17 to 23 inches in length.
The sheen on their plumage is a stunning purplish-blue iridescent that blends in nicely with its reddish-brown eyes.
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| A magpie's cautious stare. |
Magpies are as noisy and expressive!
They are songbirds that carol in high pitches and can mimic birds of other species.
They can even imitate some human sounds.
They are vocal when threatened, begging, or mating.
If you scold them, they will caw at you.
These are not shy birds - nosiness is in their nature!
When scavenging for food, they look and sound like a flock of crows, and rightfully so.
Crows and magpies are members of a species of birds called Corvidae.
After passing the "mirror test," Corvids proved to be highly intelligent and self-aware, with the ability to recognize their reflection in a mirror.
They remind me of an old cartoon from 20th Century Fox about a pair of highly intelligent magpies named Heckle and Jeckle.
The cartoon birds were mischievous and funny when aggressive, which was no mistake.
Aussie magpies can be pretty amusing when misbehaving.
My son-in-law was barbecuing on our back patio one day when a magpie swooped down and grabbed a chicken thigh from the bowl of raw meat headed for the grill.
I called out to the bird, which startled him, causing him to drop the meat.
It landed right back in the bowl of raw chicken.
Some stuff you can't make up!
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A magpie - looking for a snack.
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Although their regular diet consists of insects and small animals, some human scraps are attractive.
My grandson played around during breakfast one morning while eating on the deck.
He stepped away from the table momentarily, and a magpie perched on his cereal bowl ate his cereal.
Sometimes, Aussie magpies don't even try to be sneaky.
They will be bold and full of attitudes.
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| Magpie with an attitude! |
Magpies don't like to look directly into human eyes, so I made a habit of staring at them to deter him from any funny business.
Then I heard that they could remember human faces, and if they don't like something you do to them, they will swoop down on you later.
I stopped starring at them.
They like being social and will invite themselves into your home if the door is open.
My daughter had to chase a magpie out of the house one day and, afterward, clean up the poop he left on the living room floor.
Now that wasn't very nice!
When nesting, they are territorial and will clack their bills and swoop people walking nearby to defend their offspring.
One reason cited for this overly aggressive defensive behavior is testosterone poisoning.
Sydney's local councils will put up warning signs in nesting areas people should avoid.
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| Magpie swooping warning sign. |
Magpies love food handouts to nibble on, and my grandson enjoys feeding them bits of bread when allowed and not on the upstairs deck.
However, that doesn't stop us from worrying that they will remember him and, when we least expect, show up at the house.
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| A magpie feasting. |
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| A magpie - thinking about feasting. |
Fierce, fun, and arrogant, these birds are sometimes difficult to tolerate, but they will be your mate for life once they get to know you!
And who wouldn't want that?
Posing birds . . .
Vain birds that peak in mirrors . . .
I am NOT IN Kansas!
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